


The pretend girlfriend

by Wonderwalling



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alaska, Best Friends, Cuddling & Snuggling, Declarations Of Love, England (Country), F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, French Kissing, Friendship/Love, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, Sleepy Cuddles, Surprise Kissing, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 05:36:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4467362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderwalling/pseuds/Wonderwalling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Luke is put on the spot, he asks his best friend Jamie to be his pretend girlfriend for the weekend - it was stupid, it was foolish, and maybe it is exactly what they both needed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The pretend girlfriend

"Yes, Ma, I will be there, with..." He looks around desperately, "Jamie." He eyes her from across the room, running his fingers through his tangled hair and kicking a pillow that was on the floor. Jamie didn't seem to hear. He nods his head, relectunly to his mother's squeals of finally being with Jamie. 

"Okay, Ma. Yes. I will tell her. Okay. I have to go... okay. Yes, love you too. Bye." He ends the hour long call. Fuck. The sound of happy shouts from the other end leaving his ear ringing. He walks over and kicks the pillow again, watching it tumble on the floor. Tucking his phone in his back pocket he walks over to the island dividing the kitchen and sitting room in his loft apartment. Jamie was standing in front of the stove, the sound of sizzling food floating around her. 

"Uhm, Jay?" He sits down on one the bar stools. She half turns her head to him, eyebrows raised, before turning back to the food. 

"I need to... uhm... ask you something?" He cleared his throat, fingers clung together in a knot in his lap. She pulled the pan off the stove, flicking off the gas, turning to him with startling green eyes. He pulled in a deep breath. 

"Yeah? What's up? What did your Mum say? You did speak for long enough..." She clicked her head to the side, her eyes scanning over him, reading him like a blazing billboard sign with neon lights. 

"So, like, my cousin Jake is getting married back home... and like..." She squinted her eyes at him, as the words bubbled out and tripped over his tongue. 

"Yeah, I remember?"

"So like, my Ma asked about my girlfriend and like, I panicked and, I uhm like said you were," Jamie's eyes widened as Luke confessed, quickly back peddling, "of course, you're not, I just panicked," 

Jamie's face dropped slightly enough, that Luke almost missed it, if he didn't know her so well. They had been inseparable since he had moved to the city, but his family had never met her, and he had never met hers - in person at least - as she went home to England during the holidays, and he went back up to Alaska. That didn't stop the torrent of phone calls, skype calls and mirriad of text messages he shared with her brother and sister. And that she shared with his family in turn. 

They were almost each others best kept secrets. "But, so, you don't have to," he continued, "but if you could come with, so I don't have to explain, the mess... like?"

"You want me to _pretend_ to be your girlfriend?" She dragged out the word, her face twisting into a puzzled look. 

"Yes, that would be great, like, yes." He stammered on, his heart racing a million miles an hour as his head kept screaming 'no!' to him. 

"Sure..." She said, turning back to the stove. The relief didn't have time to wash over him, as the air thickened around the kitchen. Fuck. 

"You don't have to. I know you have never met them, but, you know, they want to meet you, and I thought we could just both go for the weekend, and... you don't..." Jamie turned around, raising her hand, and plastering a smile on her face - a smile Jake knew was the furthest thing from true; it was the eye of the storm. 

"Luke, stop. I will come. Thank you for the invite. I have always wanted to be a _pretend_ girlfriend." Her mouth turning at the corners could have fooled most, but her eyes were dark, distant, and flaming. Luke knew it was messed up; knew that he had dug a hole that he didn't want to climb out of - a mad Jamie was not someone you easily got passed. He had seen her wrath slay many a person on the spot, and had avoided it for the most part. 

"Thanks, Jay..." He squeaked, smiling back at her, trying to push as much love her way as he could. Jamie rounded the counter, swaying her hips a bit more, biting the bottom of her lip slightly. She stopped in front of him, turning his chair around to face her, her eyes like daggers firing at full force: "be sure to not burn the food, love, I'd hate it if you were to starve." She whispered right at him, her hand on his thigh. Luke gulped. He nodded at her. Jamie inched closer, standing on her tippy toes, her green eyes aligned with him: "And, love," she didn't wait for a response, "if you ever treat me like a thing to wear on your arm, to anybody, I will gut you, best friend or not." She patted his cheek, turning on her heal and making sure the door was properly slammed behind her. 

\---

Jamie hadn't responded to any of his texts since he had asked her to bis his girlfriend the night before. Scratch that: _pretend_ girlfriend. The more he said it to himself, the more disgusted he felt. Jamie's words rang this his head with utter clarity. His heart turned on him, vowing to never speak to his idiotic mouth again - he had betrayed two hearts that day. 

He had texted none stop, saying sorry, asking her to come over so that he could explain - explain what though? Yeah, sure, him and Jamie were close, practically joined at the hip. But... Luke's phone buzzed. 

"Ok. Thanks." Is all it read, confirming the flights which were in less than four hours. Nothing more. No typing. Jamie was, as she would say, proper mad. He needed to fix this. Luke gathered his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder, as he texted her back: so excited! Can't wait for you to see them. I am so sorry, Jay. Please... we need to talk.

He pocketed his phone, taking the stairs two at a time as he descended, bursting out the doors onto the busy road. Dodging traffic as well as he had learned to, he crossed to the florist. 

\--- 

Jamie sat with her legs crossed on the floor of the airport, her laptop open in front of her, as she angrily clicked through her newsfeed. The sheer audacity of Jake was second to none, she thought as she hit the down arrow a little too hard. As per usual, he was also running late, something she as a _pretend_ girlfriend would certainly not tolerate. She sighed in frustration. 

Plopping the earphones back over her ears, she drowned out her anger with the subtle sounds of piano. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the chair, stretching out one leg and just letting the situation wash over her: She was finally going to meet his family, under the guise of a lie. No more fuzzy skype picture, or bad connections over the phone; no more bad Christmas videos - she was finally going to meet them, and before she even could, she was already lying to them. The piano keys were not quite drowning out the anger. Flinging open her eyes to find more appropriate music, she was confronted with brown, muddy boots, blue faded jeans, with a black t-shirt hanging over the top, and a goofy smile. With both hands clasped behind his back, Jake mouthed Hello, before Jamie pulled the headphones off again. 

"Hi," she said. 

"I am an idiot," he started. Jamie rolled her eyes and nodded. Luke nealed down, pulling out a bunch of sunflowers, "I am an idiot, and I am sorry." She started back at his hazel eyes, the sadness swimming in them. She crossed her arms, but her heart had already started to thaw. 

"And sunflowers are magically going to fix your alignment of being an idiot?" She scoffed. 

"No. But, it is a start. I will do anything, Jamie, I am sorry." He held out the flowers out and she reluctantly, according to her head, and happily, according to her heart, accepted them.  

"Ok," was all she said. He turned and fell down next to her, she cradled the flowers in her lap. He slung his arm around her shoulder. 

"Jamie, I need to tell you that..." The intercom clicked on, announcing to the opening of the gates for their flight. Jamie turned from Luke, pulling herself up and gathering her things. The look in his eyes meant it was important, but, it was also something she didn't want to hear from an airport floor. The announcement ended, leaving her with a bunch of flowers and a quizzical look on her face: "What did you want to say?" She offered, knowing that the moment had passed - Luke's face motioned as much. 

"Will save it for later," Luke offers, pushing himself off the floor too, slinging an arm around her again, and guiding them towards the gate. 

\--- 

The flight was sheer hell, and she was pretty sure she had broken Luke's hand in the process. As soon as they had taken off, she had clutched onto his hand, as he pulled her close to him: She hated flying, and he knew it. 

In the anger of the two nights earlier, Jamie had forgotten her sleeping pills - even though this flight was not as long as the one back home, she would rather not be conscious for the endeavor. But, as it was, she was wide awake, with every bump the  flying tin can could offer vibrating through her. Even as they had touched down on the small tarmac, she hadn't let go of Luke's hand, and he made no effort to pull away either. He smiled at her reassuringly, whispering to her to calm her down; telling her stories, but leaving whatever he wanted to say to rest, which Jamie was not sure if it was a good, or bad thing. 

"That wasn't so bad?" Luke offered, as they walked across the tarmac with their backpacks on, and Jamie still shaking. 

"Fuck off, yeah." Luke laughed, but stopped, pulling her close as a man in a large jacket made his way to them. Jamie shrugged off her nerves, and stood up straight. She knew that face. 

The man lumbered towards them smiling with his whole body. Under a full face of hair, he huffed out: “Lukey! You made it!” and pulled Luke into a huge embrace. 

“Saul,” Jamie watched them hug, squeezing the missed time away. She stood just off to the side of them, not wanting to ruin this. She knew that Luke hadn’t seen Saul, his older brother, in a long time. Soon, they parted and a new set of hazel eyes were on her. 

“So you must be the famous Jamie from the computer screen. This one never shuts up about you when he is home,” he points to Luke, who slightly blushes and shakes his head. “Don’t deny it, little brother. Always going on about the green-eyed Jamie. And he wasn’t lying when he said how beautiful you were. Those skype calls did you little justice.”

It was Jamie’s turn to blush, feeling the heat rush to her face. She held out her hand, offering to greet, but Saul gently brushed it away, inside taking her into a bear crushing hug too. 

“Practically family,” he muffled into her hair.  Jamie was squashed up against his chest, him towering over her. He pulled back, holding her at arm’s length, and looking her over, as if she were a found memory he had only just happened across again. “Right, kids. Ma is waiting for us!” Saul let his arms drop and marched on forward, leaving Jamie and Luke to scurry behind him. 

Saul made sure that Jamie sat in front, leaving the “child” as he said, to sit in the back with their two bags. Luke put up a fight, claiming that he was in fact, not a child, to which Saul huffed once, looked at Jamie and then raised an eyebrow to Luke in the review mirror. The silent communication was noted, and Jamie turned her head to leave them to their wordless battle. 

The ground was green, with dots of brown brushing the bottom of the trees, working its way up as the time slowly passed. The road, which was more of a gravel patch that had been driven on too many times, winded around the country. Nature wrapped around them in every way, protesting their presence as it scurried to the safety of the thick trees. 

Conversation flowed easily enough, and Jamie and Saul caught up with each other like old childhood friends. Luke, on the other hand, was fast asleep. 

“He always does that,” Saul motioned to the sleeping Luke, curled across the back seat. 

“I know. He likes the rocking of the car – says it makes him feel like he is drifting off to sea.” 

Saul looked over at her knowingly, a smile dancing across his face. “That he does.” 

It wasn’t long after that, that a large wooden cabin sprung out upon the landscape, from just over the ridge. The smoke billowed out of the chimney, in a eager attempt to battle away the cold. Sprawled across the banisters of the patio were ribbons and lanterns, swaying in the easy breeze.   

As Saul stopped the truck, a silver-haired woman came outside, worn hands clutching the balustrade, with the breeze pushing strands of hair in her face. Her eyes too, were a bright Hazel, Jamie noted as she made her way up to the stairs. 

"Jamie," she said, a smile crossing her face, and her arms opening as she trotted down to greet her. "At long last, my dear." She kissed each cheek, and cupped her face. "I am so glad that you are finally here."

"Thank you," Jamie's heart skipped a beat. 

"Alright, Ma, leave her be," Luke's hand was on the small of Jamie's back, and it radiated heat all the way through her. 

"Laisse moi être. Elle est belle," Luke's mum cooed. Jamie blushed: "Merci." 

"Ah! tu parle français?"

"I told you she was clever, Ma." Luke smiled down at her. 

"Well, this is touching and all, but it is cold out here," Saul moaned from behind them. Antoinette rolled her eyes, and pulled Jamie up the stairs with her, as Luke and his brother bumped along behind them.

The warmth hit Jamie instantly as she entered their cabin. The high ceilings with criss cross beams, thick throw carpets on wooden floors, and the smell of a fireplace left her feeling relaxed. There was shouting, and a loud commotion as two little children, both with brown hair and dazzling blue eyes, came skidding from around the corner. 

"Ah! The terrible two's! Come and give me a hug!" Luke kneeled down, opening his arms. The two, a boy and a girl, mirror images of each other, shouted "Uncle Luke" before tackling him to the floor. Jamie watched, the warmth radiating around her, through her; coming from within her. The laughing was infectious as she felt the small smile on her face drag out into a gaping laugh. Luke was rolling around on the floor, the two children - who she knew to be Marcel and Anna - were wrestling Luke with all their might. Saul rolled his eyes at Jamie, whispering that his 'barbarians' weren't always this bad. Jamie shrugged it off, saying she knew that Luke missed his niece and nephew. 

Before anyone could get hurt, a stern voice broke up the fight. Chocolate brown hair flowing over startling blue eyes,  and an olive complexion, with a cheerful face embraced Luke, before turning her beauty onto Jamie. 

"Jamie. At long last." She glided over, giving Jamie a welcoming hug. 

"Pleased to finally meet you. I didn't think I would ever get to put a face to the voice on the other end of the line - or to the bad video images."

Ilana huffed a small laugh: "Well, Luke did take long enough to bring you here, as his girlfriend." She raised one eyebrow, looking at her, and Jamie mustered up the best poker face she could. She could feel Luke's eyes on her, and felt as thought Ilana could see through both of them. If she knew they were lying, she didn't say as much. 

"He has always been a bit behind," Jamie said, spinning a finger next to her head and mouthing the word 'coo-coo'. 

"Hey!" Luke protested, coming over and slinging his arm around Jamie. Everyone laughed, and Jamie just nudged into him. 

"Si belle," Antoinette clasped her hands in front of her, "but first you unpack." She ushered them along, leaving Luke stick his tongue out at Ilana, who returned the favour. "You will stay in Luke's old room, yes. I have made the bed and everything is clean," she turned and eyed Luke who just shrugged, before moving Jamie into his room. The light flowed in through the large window which took up one wall, and edged into the corner. The trees bristled outside as the breeze gentle nudged them along. Below, was a stream, torrenting over the rocks. The bed was on the opposite wall from the window, blue blankets and a faux throw ready and welcoming. In between throw pillows a small teddy. Jamie sucked in her breath, knowing that teddy at once. 

"Is that...?" She turned to Luke. "I didn't think that you had kept him."

"Of course I did," he was facing her, "I told you I would. For forever." The door quietly clicked closed behind them, and Jamie was left to stare into Hazel eyes, with her heart running rampant - not for the first time. 

\---

They stood like that, with the noise of the family slowly slipping under the door. 

"Jamie... I..." but she stopped him, as she pushed herself up on tippy toes, eyes locked with him, and their lips meeting. Luke melted. 

It was slow at first, staring at each other, the tingling of their lips together, and then like the torrent of the stream, his hands were around her, trying to pull her into him, as she flung her arms around his neck. Their kissing become more desperate, him parting her lips as the sweet taste of her made it onto his tongue. Lulled by the fierce emotions he had kept back - by the desperate need to be with her since the begging, Luke savored the taste with every sloppy kiss. 

Jamie's hands were digging into his neck, pulling him down to her, and he went, willingly. The battle of their tongues slowed down as they parted, breathlessly. They stared at each other, as she began to smile, sucking her lips. 

"Thanks, boyfriend." She patted him on his chest. Before she could pull away, he caught her hand, holding it. 

"I wish I was..." Luke looked at her green eyes, brighten a bit, as Jamie crooked her head to the side. 

"But you are not, Luke, because this is just _pretend_. And I was just a last minute option." She pulled away. 

"No, Jay... no." Luke pulled his hand through his hair, as Jamie brushed passed him. He grabbed her shoulder. "Stop. Ok. Stop. I have to say this or I never will." Jamie shrugged, turning around. 

"Ok." She crossed her arms, and jutted out her hip, pulling her face into a bored look, but her eyes were far from that - they raged again, as they did two nights ago. The bright green clouded over to a darker shade, as sadness played around. 

"I am an idiot," Luke inched closer to her, "and I fucked up," Jamie raised one eyebrow, as Luke placed his hands on her shoulders, "you are my best friend, and ever since I first saw you push through the crowd at the concert, I knew..." He drew in his breath, watching her face soften. The memories of the loud music, and buzz of beer were not enough to drown out the sight of Jamie for the first time. 

"I have wanted to be with you since that first moment. But I fucked up. And I panicked when my Ma called, and kept asking, and it was stupid. And childish, and I am sorry. And I want you. All of you. Everyday. For forever." Luke pulled in a deep breath, as Jamie's face dropped the mask, the corners of her mouth pulling at the sides, as one tear rolled down her reddening cheek. Luke brushed it away with his thumb, his index finger sliding past her lips. Jamie leaned into the touch. "If you will have me?" 

\---

Jamie watched out the window from her place on the couch as Marcel and Anna played around with Luke. She held a warm cup of tea between two cold hands, and a blanket that Antoinette had draped over her lap. She had slipped into the dynamic of the family easily enough, just as she had with Luke almost two years ago. Her skin was still jumping, her face reddening as she thinks back to earlier on. Jamie takes another sip of her tea, pulling her eyes away from Luke, laying on the floor with the two laying on top of him. 

"Mis queridos. Es la hora de acostarse," Ilana clapped her hands from the kitchen, which made the twins respond with exasperated sighs. Puppy dog eyes on, the pleaded and begged, turning from their mother, to father, to Luke and finally settling on Jamie. 

"But Jamie doesn't want us to go to bed," Marcel announced. Two sets of glowing blue eyes turned to her as Ilana threw up her hands. 

"You cannot pick on Jamie. It is bedtime."

"But, moooooom." They both dragged out. Ilana looked at Jamie, an eyebrow raised, an apology crossing her face. Jamie waved it off. 

"How about a bedtime story?" Jamie offered. 

"Yes!!" The twins chanted. Ilana nodded her head, and winked at Luke. He turned his eyes to Jamie - shimmering hazel - darting to her lips, and back to her eyes, a knowing smile playing on his face. 

Jamie pushed herself from the comfort of the couch, breaking the contact, and happy to have the twins to distract her. She took each twin by the hand as they danced along, shouting their goodnights as they went. 

"Bonne nuit, mes amours," Antoinette sang after them. The twins pulled Jamie into their room, one big double bed, with stars stuck to the ceiling, and world of glow in the dark paint scattered across the walls. She had been in here earlier on in the day, and was promised that it was rather spectacular at night - they had not disappointed. 

Jamie nestled herself between the two, her arms wrapped around them, as they settled down into her story. She had been playing with them all day, and had grown fond of them in the short time she had actually met them. Of course, as with the rest of the family, she had spoken to them. But a ghost voice on the other end of the phone is nothing compared to rosy cheeks and deep hugs. 

\---

Luke leaned against the door frame as Jamie skillfully pulled herself out from the tangle of the twins. His mom had not stopped singing her praises, and of course calling Luke out for not bringing her sooner. She had remarked on how he seemed to have a skip in his step; a new energy in his spring. He did. 

Jamie pushed him gently out the way, her hand against his chest, as she pulled the door closed behind her. Placing one finger to her lips, she pulled him back to his room - deep at the back of the house. 

Luke had his arms wrapped around Jamie's waist, kissing her neck as she tried to stifle her giggles. Even though she had thought that they had fully shared their lives for two years, this was another level.  "Shh, Luke."

"I am not the one making a noise." He continued his attack on her neck. She nudged him in the ribs, as they entered his room, quickly closing the door. Luke turned her around, as Jamie's arms wrapped around his waist. 

"I need to put my pajamas on," she said into his chest. Luke pressed a soft kiss to her hair, the smell of vanilla filling his senses. 

"I can help?" He offers. 

"No," she pushes away from him laughing, "because if you had your way, I would have no clothes on at all."

"I thought you would never offer," he mocked. She just rolled her eyes at him. Luke shrugged, sex was not at the top of his list for tonight - a good second, but most certainly not number one. He thought that maybe his insides had turned to mush, because as he watched Jamie pull off her shirt and throw on one of his old ones that he had given her a long time ago, all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and watch her drift to sleep. She slipped into her pj pants, tying her hair up and crawling into bed next to him. 

Luke held out his arm, and she instinctively nestled into him. This was not the first time they had shared a bed, had cuddled, but now it was different. There were no boundaries, no unspoken words, or a constant need to break the silence. Now, it was easy; it was right. Finally, they had said all they could and had somehow become even closer. 

After Luke told her that he wants her, Jamie made it pretty clear that she didn't want to lose him. That he was her rock, but, much to the delight of Luke's swelling heart, she needed more from him. They were no longer content with just being friends, and perhaps they had never really be content with that. But, as Jamie pointed out, life was too short. And maybe him screwing up was what they needed. With the glass wall that they had built around their friendship brought down, Luke finally let his heart beat faster. And silently cursed himself for not bringing her here sooner; for not telling her sooner. 

"Thank you for being amazing with my family," he whispered into her hair. She tightened her grip around him. 

"I wish I had come earlier," her voice tired, and strained. 

"Jamie..." She shook her head. 

"We spoke about it, Luke. We were both fools. But now," she looked up at him, "we have the chance to actually make it all right." His lips were on hers, with Jamie pulling herself up to straddle him. 

"Maybe everyone was right all along," she kissed him again, his hands on her hips, lifting her shirt slowly. "But don't tell Marion that, for God's sakes - I will never hear the end of it." Luke laughed as Jamie placed another kiss on his lips. He pulled her closer, parting her lips to taste all of her again, addicted to the sweetness on his lips. She moaned softly against his lips, pulling away: "Sorry... but."

"I know, love. It's okay."

"I want to, Luke. Like, really want to," she had her hands on his hips, widening her legs as she pushed against him, "but not in your parents house. I have a little more dignity than that." Luke cursed under his breath, Jamie not missing it as she moved her hips a bit more. He took both her hands, pulling her down to kiss her. 

"I know love," he said again. Sex was, after all, number two on his list for tonight - maybe number 1.5 now. Jamie laughed, thanking him, and shaking her head. She laid down on his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her. The silence comfortably wrapped around them, as they were content in each other's space. They always had been. Ever since they met up again after the concert it had been easy for the two of them. Luke had found a friend in a time when he needed one most. Jamie had slotted into his life like a missing piece. Only after talking to his mom did he realize how much he really had needed her. How he still does, and how he most probably always will. 

"Good night, Lu," sleep filtering through her voice. 

"Night, Jay." He squeezed her back before she slid off him, and cosied into his side. Luke lay awake for a while longer, the sound of the night finding its way into the room, coupled with Jamie's slow breathing. He turned to face her, kissing her forehead and closed his eyes to his peaceful girlfriend: this time no pretending. 


End file.
